Olha Melnyk (Nina Mári)
My artistic practice is based on research into social processes.
I find the method of using bright colors to highlight a problematic topic to be very effective. After all, the human eye prefers a “beautiful” image. Thus, I seem to seduce the spectator who, without suspecting it, plunges into the story. It’s only when he comes closer that he realizes that I talk about sometimes terrible things.
For the Act Against Torture project, I wanted to do something visually simple, because the subject itself is extremely complex. At the same time, a simple image should give the viewer space for reflection and understanding. After all, humanity constantly talks about torture and its unacceptable nature in society. However, this phenomenon has not disappeared, it only takes other forms and interpretations.
So I turned to metaphors and simple objects, and also borrowed the name of the project. I wanted to talk about our attempts to avoid facing the reality in which torture is still possible and practiced illegally despite its prohibition.
HEAD Artists 2024
Agathe Heilmann
What connection is there between a place and what we do there? When it comes to torture and ill-treatment, none. Any space, whether an old school, a hospital or a prison, can be hijacked to become the scene of violence. For the Artists Against Torture association, I...
Elisa Pournin
HEAD Artists 2024
Mel Wieland
“Shut up or I'll leave you on the side of the road (and the wolves will come and eat you)” Mel Wieland, born in 1996 in Geneva, is a trans scenographer, painter and microtechnician of Swiss-Peruvian origin. In his pictorial works, Mel addresses the theme of...
Loane Colatruglio
A world without cages is a work that approaches the notion of torture in an open manner with different perspectives, inviting the viewer to reflect on this powerful subject. By connecting the series of numbered points, a meaningful sentence emerges. These quotes offer...
Weiyu Chen
In the work, OKMAN is a calm, neutral figure who expresses his inner emotions and perception of the world through body language. This reserved character symbolizes the fear and shyness of each individual victim of abuse. But whether individually or collectively, we...
Marta Silva Coelho
For some time now, my projects have been carried out in collaboration with other people, where the exchange becomes fundamental and an innovative driving force. Relationships with others are built on a horizontal plane, which allows me to access their personal...
Razene El Mestaysser
The first step to achieve violence, hatred, torture even to the point of genocide is dehumanization. Unfortunately, it is a practice that is far too commonplace, particularly against racialized people. In my project I wanted to question the empathy of spectators by...
Iris Nguyen Van and Alice Malherbe
The two of us worked on this project because it particularly affected us. This series of photographs denounces violence against women around the world, based on certified statistics which interact with the photos. We really wanted to create a strong contrast with, on...
Sandra Lumingu
In this project I question the problem of online and offline surveillance as well as the memory of gestures in spaces where torture has taken place. Based on real places where lives were shattered, I generated fictitious places using artificial intelligence, in which...